After two years of suffering from anorexia, Vanessa Peynenburg created the online movement Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful.
The campaign raises awareness of eating disorders, mental illness, addiction and bullying.
On Friday, May 3, the former St. Albert Catholic High student was honoured for her work with a Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Citizenship Medal.
“For me my biggest passion has always been raising awareness about eating disorders and as somebody who went through anorexia that’s what I want to commit my life to doing,” said Peynenburg.
“It’s what I am most proud of doing.”
The Golden Jubilee Medal is awarded annually to eight provincial high school students who also received the Premier’s Citizenship Award. It recognizes outstanding citizenship, leadership, community service and volunteerism.
(A story in the May 4 edition of the Gazette wrongly reported that Peynenbury had received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal.)
Peynenburg was 15 when she suffered from anorexia and it took her almost two years to recover. She started volunteering to motivate herself and others to take control of their struggles and illness.
She said her school nominated her for various commitments, fundraisers and volunteer projects.
But the 18-year-old is proudest of creating the Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful campaign.
“I think it’s easy for us to succumb to what other people expect from us and how they believe we should look,” she said.
“I want people to embrace their natural size, their natural beauty and to show that they don’t have to be a certain size to be beautiful.”
Peynenburg also received $5,000 to put toward post-graduate studies or personal development.
She said she would use the money for a graduate program in psychology. She recently finished her first year as an undergraduate student at the University of Alberta.
